2013 College Football Predictions: USC Trojans BCS Odds and Season Preview

2013 College Football Predictions: USC Trojans BCS Odds and Season Preview: Things don’t always going according to plan in any sport, and USC is coming off an extreme example of this fact. The Trojans entered 2012 with Heisman Trophy frontrunner Matt Barkley under center and national title aspirations, only to watch their season fall apart at the seams. The Trojans couldn’t get their offense going in losses to Notre Dame and Stanford and couldn’t slow down Oregon in a 62-51 defeat. When all was said and done, USC finished the year with a disappointing 7-6 record, and Barkley finished the year on the sidelines with an injured shoulder. The cherry on top of the bad year was a 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. As a result of last year’s disaster, the Trojans have a lot to prove and head coach Lane Kiffin is heading into the 2013 college football season with his job essentially on the line.

The Good News:

USC welcomes back plenty of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, including star receiver Marqise Lee. In two years with the Trojans, he has amassed more than 2,800 yards and 25 scores to go along with more than 1,000 yards and a couple scores in the return game. He will be joined by athletic tight end Xavier Grimble and former 1,000-yard rusher for Penn State Silas Redd. Perhaps most importantly, four starters are back along the offensive line. The Trojans also have seven starters back on the defensive side of the ball, including five from a very athletic front seven. Throw in a strong recruiting class, and there is no shortage of talent on both sides of the ball.

The Bad News:

After enjoying the services of Matt Barkley under center for the last four years, the Trojans will have to start over. Max Wittek replaced an injured Barkley last year, but he didn’t exactly impress in his two starts. Five-star recruit Max Browne is also in the mix, but throwing a true freshman to the wolves isn’t ideal. The offense also loses receiver Robert Woods while the defense loses a lot of leadership in the secondary with the departure of safety T.J. McDonald. In addition to the losses of a few key contributors, there are serious questions about whether or not Kiffin can get this team to focus and live up to his potential on the heels of last year’s debacle.

Outlook:

Plain and simple, the Trojans cracked under the pressure last season and allowed an early loss to derail their entire season. While a national title isn’t in the cards in 2013, the lowered expectations could actually result in a better overall season. A somewhat friendly schedule should also help the cause as USC dodges Oregon and gets Stanford and UCLA at home. Granted, the lack of an established quarterback is going to cost the Trojans some games, but they will still put points on the board thanks to Lee and the rest of the skill position players. At the end of the day, this is still a talented team, and it should have a huge chip on its shoulder after what happened last year. The Pac-12 isn’t deep, and the Trojans can bounce back and challenge UCLA in the South Division. The QB issues will probably keep them from competing for a conference title, but a solid year should be on tap.

Prediction: 10-3, Second in Pac-12 South Division

Preseason Vegas Odds for USC’s 2013 College Football Team:
USC Trojan’s 2013 Odds to Win BCS Championship: +6600
USC Trojan’s 2013 Odds to Win Pac 12 Championship: +250
USC Trojan’s 2013 Odds to Win Pac 12 South Division: +150

NSAwins.com is America’s premier sports betting website for 2013 College Football Expert Picks and College Football Betting Odds and Lines.